Spoiler Alert
Tom Felton gives it his all in a cyberpunk eugenics drama about a fractured society where mutants and normals exist in constant tension. Altered marks a shift from what Timo Vuorensola, best known for Iron Sky, usually delivers. Instead of pulpy action excess, this film leans into a youth-focused formula, with Felton firmly at its centre. He plays Leon, a paraplegic mechanic who moonlights as a cat burglar while acting as a father figure to Chloe, played by Liza Bugulova.
Their bond is established quickly through necessity. She distracts, he sneaks, hacks systems, and steals crystalline energy sources that power advanced technology. Living outside the city, they survive by relying on each other in a world where people either fend for themselves or form uneasy alliances. The dynamic is effective, and their mutual dependence carries the film from beginning to end.
This is a post-war society built on conformity. After nuclear devastation reshapes humanity, you are either part of the new order or left behind. While the mutant versus normal divide invites easy X-Men comparisons, the film’s sharper focus is eugenics. Physical disabilities can be “fixed,” but only at an enormous financial cost. Even Leon fakes interest when he and Mira (Aggy K. Adams) pretend to be a couple and seek advice from the Genesis Institute about her upcoming pregnancy. This set piece mirrors the opening of the film, positioning Chloe for a surgical strike against the corporation. The fact that Mira agrees to be part of the plan suggests a possible future for this trio.
This moment speaks volumes about the kind of story Vuorensola wants to tell. It also feels like a perfect lead into an inevitable climax. Where the film ultimately goes, however, feels more like an added idea than a fully confident finale. Still, the misdirection works. No showdown here is cleanly executed, and the way this director subverts expectations feels deliberate rather than accidental. That choice matters because Leon is classified as someone who could benefit from reconstruction but actively chooses not to. When the later part of the film introduces a new medical advancement that could allow him to walk again, I appreciated that Leon questions it and digs for the truth rather than accepting it outright. This plot point kept me engaged.
What held my attention most was Felton himself. He plays a character filled with regrets. There’s no sense of coasting on past fame, and his post-Harry Potter career choices feel deliberate. From Rise of the Planet of the Apes to his recurring role on The Flash, Felton has avoided typecasting. In Altered, he provides the emotional weight that keeps the film grounded, even when the narrative wavers.
Chloe is later revealed to be Leon’s niece, but their bond plays closer to a father-daughter relationship than a distant familial obligation. The film doesn’t give enough weight to their struggles as a family, and when she interacts with others her age, those moments feel more like thematic detours than narrative necessities. They highlight her need for independence. Afterwards, Leon realises he can make changes for the better himself instead of relying solely on this teen. That realisation leads him to develop a cybernetic suit that allows him to walk.
The film takes time to explore his adjustment and uncertainty about whether the technology will truly help him. While the suit’s design leans heavily into Sentai-style aesthetics, the resulting unintended comedy undercuts the drama. By contrast, the antagonists wear gear that looks pulled straight from Mad Max. When both styles collide in a cyberpunk setting, the visual mash distracts more than it reinforces the story’s emotional core.At its heart, Altered wants to be about keeping a family together while confronting a buried past.
Vuorensola understands that the story must revolve around character rather than spectacle, and he clearly respects pulp traditions. The action sequences often feel staged, with blows that don’t fully connect, but this may be intentional. Had the film placed a tighter focus on the surrogate family at its centre instead of spreading the narrative thin, it might have stood out more. As it stands, this movie is more of a curiousity than a piece of strong science fiction.
3 Stars out of 5
Altered Movie Trailer
